Studying law and ready to think about your niche? These 5 specialist law roles might broaden your horizons.
The study of law covers such a wide variety of job roles and opportunities that deciding where you want to focus your talents while you are still in University is tricky. However, deciding where you want your career to go early can lead to better allocation of your time.
As you look for inspiration within the law sector, you will soon find that there is far more to it than criminal law alone. The following suggestions for specialisms within the field might help sway you away from the criminal court system and towards a more rewarding role.
Niche Law Roles for New Students
Whether you are freshly enrolled or whether you are about to graduate, these niche law roles might hold interest for you.
Become a Patent Attorney
Patent Attorneys have a career where they see something new every day. In this role, you will spend time going over past patents, learning specific areas of invention, and helping your clients create new patents of their own.
In this role you will communicate with the Patent Office and with other businesses. These third parties will hire you to help define and document their inventions or potential inventions to protect them against intellectual theft.
Learn How to Become a Patent Attorney in the UK if this career option interests you.
Specialise in Child Custody Law
A child custody lawyer is a family law specialist who handles a high volume of child custody cases. Custody battles occur during and after separations, meaning that many child custody battles follow on from divorce.
A child custody lawyer represents either side of the split in a separation. They will file paperwork on behalf of their clients, negotiate settlements out of court, and, if needs be, represent that client in a courtroom.
Child custody law isn’t always a battle. Many partners mutually split and require paperwork to document their agreement. Co-parenting is becoming more and more possible in a world where traditional marriages are declining each year.
Train as a Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury law represents a huge growth section of the law industry. Anyone can hire a personal injury solicitor at any time during their life, following an accident. An accident might involve anything from a trip or fall to a car crash. Personal injury lawyers deal with medical negligence, workplace hazards, and ensuring personal safety in public places.
If you choose personal injury and medical malpractice as your law school specialty you will never be out of a job.
Be a Commercial Lawyer
Commercial lawyers are there for businesses to ensure that their operations are legal. They might consult with start-ups to set out new guidelines moving forward. They could write contracts for employees. A commercial lawyer might even product test to ensure that new product lines are not hazardous to public health and therefore pose little to no risk of legal action in the future.
Commercial lawyers deal with compliance with local and national regulations. They oversee business mergers and negotiate in procurement deals. Your business might keep a commercial lawyer on retainer, should any day-to-day legal issues arise.
To become a commercial lawyer, focus on corporate law. Authoring reports, drafting contracts, and overseeing dispute resolutions will be some of your main tasks.
Train in Charity Law
Arguably the most rewarding of all roles within the law sector, seeking a position working with charities can help you pay it forward with your career. Those with no desire to pursue a law career which involves the criminal court system might benefit from a position working with charities around the UK. Building a better future starts with charity at home.
To become a solicitor who works in the charity sector, you can specialise during or after your law degree. You can take a Level 4 course to gain a certificate in charity law and governance. You will also require two years of experience working within the sector before you can land paid roles. We advise that you volunteer your time with an active charity law firm or seek a part time, paid position.
Experience Plus Grades Brings Options in Law Careers
Great grades are only one part of gaining a successful law career when you leave university. Another important part of your education lies in on-the-job experience. This is something you can only get by working for another firm during your studies. It is the combination which makes the beginning of a great lawyer.
